David

  I sat on the bridge after breakfast on our second day returning from Eldros, wanting to check our progress toward Vaelthorn. Allyson and Ava stood behind me in their usual positions, silent and attentive.

  “Allyson, what’s our expected arrival at the tower?” I asked, watching the sun rise behind us through the bridge viewports.

  “At our current speed, we should arrive tomorrow afternoon, Master,” she said.

  “It feels like we’re moving faster than we did on the way out,” I murmured, glancing back at her. “Is that just me?”

  “No, Master,” Allyson replied. “You are getting stronger. It reflects in our abilities.”

  “I… still don’t really understand how that works,” I admitted, until I felt a light touch on my shoulder, Allyson’s hand. This was a first.

  “Master,” Ava said gently, “as your strength increases, ours rises with it.”

  That was interesting, and a little unsettling. I opened my mouth to ask more when the bridge door slid open. Marlena stepped inside, wearing her water-mage robes, her golden hair bright in the early morning light. She smiled the moment she saw me between my two assistants.

  “So is there an upper limit?” I muttered to myself.

  “Master?” Allyson asked.

  “Just thinking aloud.” I stood and moved to greet Marlena. She smelled faintly of vanilla, sweet and warm. Ice cream. Did this world have that? Could I make it? Mix a vat with ice magic… maybe. If I could make a sizzle stick, I could probably make an ice cream maker. There was a thought for later. I pulled back enough to study the beautiful woman in my arms.

  “So, my sweet wife, what’s on the agenda today?” I asked, sitting again and pulling her onto my lap.

  “Well,” she said, beginning to unfasten the top of my shirt, “I thought you might like to read.”

  “I thought you wanted to read?” I said, repeating her, trying for calm as she loosened button number three.

  “Yes,” she said airily, then rose to her feet. With a soft rustle, she parted her robe just enough to tease. Spirals traced over her chest and across her abdomen, her golden markings shimmering faintly in the bridge lights. The lines curled down her arms and legs, catching the light as she slowly turned, revealing just a bit more with each shift of her hips. Enough to make even my mother blush.“You could stay up here with your book…” She leaned in, eyes bright. “…or you could come with me and try something new.”

  I found myself sitting in the lounge, sketchbook open on my lap, watching the world stretch out beneath us through the forward windows. The hum of the Enterprise’s engines vibrated faintly through the floorboards and into my bare feet. Mid-morning light spilled through the wide windows, revealing the distant line of the mountain range that separated Vaelthorn from Eldros. We were closing in fast.

  Marlena was curled against my side, her soft snore almost kitten-like. She still held the book she meant to read, but our earlier, enthusiastic adventure had exhausted her. On my other side, Seraphina sat with her legs tucked under herself, lost in a book, the faintest smile on her lips.

  I added the finishing touches to a new diagram, measurements, angles, and weight distribution.

  “Allyson,” I murmured, careful not to wake the sleeping water mage. I held the sketchbook up for her to see. “How long would it take to build this? Or do we already have something like it in Tower Six?”

  She studied it with a tilt of her head. “Master, may I ask its intended function? By the design and weight-load points… it resembles a bed.”

  “Close. It’s a massage table,” I whispered, rechecking the diagram.

  “We have something that fits that format in storage on the third floor,” she said. “Slightly larger than this. Shall I have it moved to your residence?”

  “Yes. Put it in my private changing room.”

  “What of the other two projects you showed me?”

  “Already being constructed. If the schedule holds, they’ll be waiting in your private workshop tomorrow.”

  I grinned. “Allyson, you’re the best.”

  “I know, Master.”

  Across me, Seraphina glanced over, eyebrows lifting at the drawing.

  “What are you creating now? That’s… a strange table. If it is a table.”

  “Well, sort of,” I said. “A massage table. You lie on it, and someone gives you a massage. One’s already being moved to my private changing room, so I’ll demonstrate personally.”

  “Personally?” she echoed with a smirk.

  “Yes,” I said, turning to a blank page and glancing around the lounge. Besides us, Captain Davies and Lieutenant Woods were seated a short distance away, watching the passing scenery.

  “Captain Davies. Lieutenant Woods,” I called softly. Davies immediately stood and approached, nearly saluting before catching herself.

  “Yes, Prince… sorry, David.”

  “Sometime today, I’d like to take measurements for your armor.” Their eyes widened. Soldiers were universal, and new armor was like a Winterfest morning.

  “Thank you, sir,” Davies said, smiling in a way I’d only ever seen when Allira received armor upgrades. “What do you need from us?”

  “Well,” Seraphina answered with that particular smile she saved for when she planned trouble, “you’ll stand for my husband while he takes your measurements. It doesn’t take long. Allira’s took about ten minutes. But, Captain…” She paused. “You’ll have to be in your undergarments or…”

  Davies blinked. Hard. “No… clothes?”

  “We need proper measurements,” Seraphina said sweetly. “Proper.”

  Lieutenant Woods stepped forward. “Ma’am, we thought we’d be issued standard armor for royal guard duty.”

  Seraphina laughed softly. “Oh, no. That won’t do. What do they call it? No ‘off-the-shelf’ armor for you two.” She looked at me. “What’s the process again?”

  I closed my sketchbook. “Full measurements. The suits are crafted, and then we do a fitting to check the range of motion. Adjustments are common. At the second fitting, I will teach you how to put on your armor. Speaking of which, we still need Veronica’s measurements.”

  “I… forgive me,” Davies said, “but custom armor is costly.”

  “Yes,” Seraphina agreed. “It is. Fortunately, we know a master smith who can make it.” She nudged my arm lightly. “How long will it take him?”

  “For the style I’m planning? Two weeks,” I said. “We’ll start after Marlena wakes. If you two change into something easy to remove, it’ll go faster.”

  They both agreed, bowed, and hurried out of the lounge, flustered and excited in equal measure.

  _____________________

  Rebecca

  I held the door to our shared cabin open for Lieutenant Woods. Lydia slipped inside with a soft “thank you,” and the moment the door clicked shut behind us, the composure we’d barely held on the walk back shattered.

  I couldn’t stop grinning. Lydia wasn’t doing much better.

  “Custom armor,” I breathed, pressing a hand to my chest as if that would steady my racing heartbeat. “Lydia, did you hear him?”

  “I heard him,” she said, eyes shining. “Custom armor. For us. That’s… gods, that’s unheard of.”

  “And made by a master smith,” I added, still half expecting to wake up. “Do you know what a suit like that is worth? And he’s planning at least three sets!” I sank onto the edge of the bunk, dizzy with it. “What kind of influence does the Prince even have?”

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  Lydia was pulling off her uniform tunic as I spoke, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But… what do you think he wants in return?”

  I gave her a look. “Lydia.”

  She lifted both hands defensively. “I’m asking! Men in power don’t give gifts this big unless they want something. Maybe attention. Maybe favors. Maybe…” She hesitated, then shrugged, cheeks warm. “He is handsome. I wouldn’t mind…”

  I opened my mouth, closed it, and scrubbed my hands over my face. “He’s married to six women.”

  “That doesn’t make him less handsome,” she muttered, folding her uniform neatly.

  I sighed, pulling my own shirt over my head. “Be serious. He’s a Prince. He’s an Engineer. And unless I’m reading him wrong, he’s doing this because… he wants something.”

  She paused at that. Truly paused. “…I think you might be right,” she admitted quietly.

  We changed quickly, slipping into our robes. Lydia tightened her sash and squared her shoulders.

  “Ready?”

  I drew in a breath, nodded, and opened the door. “As I’ll ever be.”

  We stepped out together, hearts pounding, not from fear, but from a sense that our lives had just shifted in ways we didn’t yet understand.

  _____________________

  David

  I was finishing the last ingredients of a favorite recipe, vanilla ice cream, a flavor that didn’t exist in this world but absolutely should, when I heard the soft slap of bare feet on the lounge floor. I glanced up just in time to see Captain Davies and Lieutenant Woods returning, both wrapped in robes that were tied far more loosely than when they’d left. Efficient. And apparently very eager.

  Marlena was curled against my shoulder, breathing warm and soft against my neck. She was still half-asleep from our earlier… experimentation. A mage with a water affinity shouldn’t have been able to get that warm, yet somehow she managed.

  Davies paused when she spotted Marlena, then pointed toward a quieter set of seats so as not to wake her. A considerate gesture, and yet another reminder that under that polished soldier exterior was a woman who was probably picturing her new armor already.

  Aria slipped into the lounge moments later, robe tied in a way that left one long leg exposed with every step.

  “Everyone in the back fell asleep,” she reported as she took a seat opposite me, pulling her robe over her knees. Her smile grew when she saw Marlena snuggled against me. “That’s adorable… and telling.”

  “Allyson,” I said quietly, “we’re still arriving tomorrow?”

  “Yes, Master. Late afternoon, at current speed,” she confirmed. Marlena stirred at the sound of my voice, rubbing her eyes before blinking up at me. Her hair was a golden halo of chaos.

  “David…” she murmured.

  “Yes, love?” My hand slid to her thigh, and she rewarded me with a sleepy hum that made Aria’s eyebrows jump.

  “How long was I out?”

  “About an hour. Feeling better?”

  “Mm. Still tired,” she admitted. Aria snorted, clearly knowing the reason. I eased Marlena upright and stood. With a small flicker of thought into my storage, I pulled out a measuring tape.

  “All right. Captain Davies, are you ready?”

  She swallowed, straightened her spine, and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “If you’ll stand over here…”

  She stepped into the open space, and with a breath that sounded like a prayer for strength, she slipped out of her robe. The fabric glided down her arms and pooled around her ankles. She instinctively tried to cover herself, one arm across her chest, the other hanging uselessly at her thigh. There wasn’t nearly enough arm to hide herself.

  Seraphina exhaled in appreciation. “Oh, she’s lovely in her undergarments,” my first wife murmured, leaning forward over her knees. "Yummy..."

  Davies went even redder.

  “Arms out,” I instructed gently. She obeyed, though her shoulders shook as she lifted them.

  Her body was impressive, lean and shaped from discipline, not vanity. Tan skin, strong legs, a tapering waist, and hips that absolutely did not belong to a career soldier. I stepped in to measure her shoulders. Davies flinched, sharply.

  “My hands are cold?” I asked.

  “Yes, sir. Very,” she said through clenched teeth.

  Marlena, fully awake now, made a soft appreciative noise. “She’s adorable.”

  Allira kicked her feet idly. “She’s about ten seconds from passing out.”

  I moved slowly, measuring down the captain’s arms and smoothing the tape with my thumbs along her biceps. She trembled again. Her skin was warm, almost feverish. A reaction I didn’t comment on, though I definitely noticed. When I slid my hands around her waist for the next measurement, Davies made a tiny, startled sound that she immediately tried to suppress.

  Seraphina smirked. “Relax, Captain. He’s very gentle. Especially in bed.”

  Davies made another noise.

  Lydia snorted from her seat. “She’s going to hurl.”

  “No throwing up,” Seraphina teased. “You wanted armor, didn’t you?”

  I knelt for the next sequence, sliding the tape under her ribs and around her hips. Her breath stuttered above me, quick, shallow, undeniably flustered. She remained still only by sheer force of military discipline.

  “Almost done,” I murmured.

  She nodded stiffly. Her ears were bright red. Then came the final measurement.

  “Arms up,” I said. She obeyed, lifting them again. I brought the tape around her from behind, brushing lightly against the sides of her breasts as I secured the final number. Davies froze. Utterly.

  Seraphina whispered to Marlena, “She’s not breathing.”

  “She hasn’t for a while,” Marlena whispered back, delighted.

  Aria added helpfully, “If she passes out, David can measure her more easily.” Rebbca Davies made a wounded sound. I finished as quickly as I could without losing precision, then released the tape and stepped around to face her again.

  “That’s it.” My voice softened. “You did very well.”

  Her robe lay abandoned at her feet, so I bent, retrieved it, and draped it gently around her shoulders. Her hands flew to the fabric, clutching it like armor. She bowed stiffly. “Th-thank you, sir.”

  Her face was crimson. Her ears were crimson. Her soul might have been crimson. Sweat rolled down her back as she slowly made her way back to the seat. Lydia watched her, eyes shining with wicked delight.

  “Lieutenant Woods,” I said, “your turn, if you’re ready.” Lieutenant Woods didn’t hesitate.

  The moment I said her name, she stepped forward and shrugged off her robe as if it were no big deal. The fabric hit the floor before Davies even reached her seat. Lydia stood tall in front of me, much more relaxed than her captain, shoulders back, chest out, not bothering to hide a single thing. She stood in front of me as naked and proud as ever.

  I glanced back at Rebbca Davies; she just sat in the chair, unmoving, watching me. She didn’t put the robe back on; she just sat there, flushed and breathing heavily.

  “Alright, David,” she said, placing her hands loosely behind her back, “what’s first?”

  Seraphina let out a low, appreciative hum and crossed her legs deliberately, her robe slipping just enough to be noticeable. “Oh, she’s bold,” she murmured to Marlena.

  “Mm-hmm,” Marlena agreed, fully awake now, leaning forward with her chin propped on her hand. “I like her confidence.”

  Aria didn’t even pretend to hide her grin. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” I cleared my throat, fighting the urge to smile at three wives openly evaluating the Lieutenant like a prize horse at auction.

  “Arms out,” I said gently. I looked at the soldier in front of me. She was athletic, not as curvy as Davies, but just as attractive.

  She lifted her arms without a flicker of embarrassment. The sunlight from the windows caught on her pale skin, tracing the toned lines of a soldier who trained every day of her life.

  Where Davies had been shy and tense, Lydia was steady, measured, like she had made a decision long before stepping into this room. I stepped close enough to begin measuring her shoulders. She smelled faintly of lavender and steel, an odd but pleasant combination.

  “You’re very relaxed,” I said, moving behind her to measure across her back.

  She laughed softly. “Sir, after everything we’ve seen you do? A little nudity isn’t going to rattle me.”

  “That’s because she’s imagining the armor already,” Davies muttered behind her, still red-faced. Lydia didn’t deny it, but she also didn’t break eye contact with me when I stepped around to measure her waist.

  Seraphina whispered to Marlena, “She’s trouble.”

  “Delicious trouble,” Marlena whispered back.

  Aria snorted. “Oh, absolutely.”

  I worked my way down her torso, measuring with precision. Lydia never flinched. Not once. She followed every instruction smoothly, almost gracefully.

  When I knelt to take her hip measurements, her breath hitched, just for a moment, quick enough to miss if you weren’t listening for it. But it was there. Seraphina definitely heard it.

  She leaned in slightly. “Relax, Lieutenant. He’s professional.”

  Then, under her breath, but not quiet enough: “Mostly.” I sighed. Lydia laughed.

  Her skin was warm, far warmer than Davies’s. Or nerves she refused to show? Hard to tell.

  “All right,” I said softly. “Last measurement. Arms up.”

  She raised them, exposing the last bit of space between her ribs and the soft underside of her arms. I stepped forward, sliding the tape around her torso, my fingers brushing her back.

  She inhaled sharply, far louder this time.

  Marlena giggled. “Oh, she felt that.”

  Aria fanned herself dramatically. “If this were a test, she’d be failing composure.”

  Lydia shot them both a glare that held zero actual heat. “I am perfectly composed.”

  “Of course you are,” Seraphina said mockingly sweetly. “Standing naked in front of our husband. Completely composed.”

  Lydia turned a deeper shade of red than Davies had managed, but she still held her posture, head high. I finished the measurement and stepped back.

  “That’s all,” I said gently. “You did very well.”

  Her lips twitched into a smirk. “I’m a soldier, sir. I can handle standing still.”

  From her seat, Davies muttered, “I hate you.”

  Lydia tossed her a smug little look. “Jealous.”

  I set the sketchbook aside and moved toward Captain Davies, lowering myself to one knee in front of her. She sat slouched in the chair, still flushed, still breathing like she’d run a mile uphill in full armor. And still very much uncovered, something she didn’t seem capable of noticing at all.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I asked softly.

  Her eyes lifted to mine, unfocused, distant, like she was still halfway inside whatever flustered fog the measurements had put her into.

  “Yes,” she managed. “I will… manage.” No. She wouldn’t, not like that. She was trembling, barely, but enough that my enhanced senses caught it.

  “Allyson,” I said quietly, “a couple of blankets, please.”

  She nodded and vanished before I finished exhaling.

  I stood and offered my hands to Davies. She didn’t hesitate; her fingers slipped into mine instinctively, seeking something solid. I guided her to the empty sofa.

  “Sit,” I said gently. “Lie back a little.”

  She obeyed without question, settling onto the cushions with a soft exhale that almost sounded like a whimper. Moments later, a maid draped a blanket over her, tucking the edges around her shoulders with careful, precise motions. Davies shivered anyway.

  I sat beside her and eased her head into my lap as soon as she felt the contact; some of the tension in her chest unwound. I rested a steady hand on her shoulder, feeling the tiny tremors still running through her muscles.

  “Close your eyes,” I murmured. “Just breathe. I’m right here.”

  Lydia Woods dropped gracefully to her knees, sliding close enough to take Davies’s hand. She held it tightly, not caring that half the lounge was watching.

  “Rebba,” she whispered, voice tight with worry. “I’m here. You’re okay.”

  I put my hand on Davies’s shoulder, grounding her. “You’re safe,” I said. “You just got overwhelmed. It happens.” Her eyes finally fluttered shut. And slowly, very slowly, her breathing evened out.

  “She’s never been with a man; you have to forgive her, my lord,” Lydia said as she patted her friend on the shoulder.

  Seraphina laughed from the other sofa. “Oh, they’re going to fit beautifully into this family.”

  Marlena nodded dreamily. “Mm. Definitely.”

  Aria crossed her arms and added, “They’re a sexy duo, we’re stealing them, aren’t we?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Please stop adopting every woman who blushes near me.”

  My three wives answered in unison: “No.”

  Lieutenant Lydia Woods looked up at me and glanced at my three wives in the room, “Prince… Sorry, David… Should Rebbeca and I be worried about this?”

  “It’s hard to tell…” I said, rubbing Davies’s shoulder, listening to her now sleeping.